The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-08-13
DEPTHS OF DEPRAV1TY.
Belief That the OhatswOrth Bridge Was
Fired By Wreckers.

/ IlreQ " Mreckers'
| CHATswoRTH. Ills, Aug. l2.-Sen-
sational features have developed this
morning as to the cause OF the Chats
worth railroad wreck last Wednesday
night. Rumors were afloat last
night that it was due to robbers who
fired the bridge, but little credit was
given them. This morning new facts,
apparently showing the catastrophe
to be the work of an organized band
of robbers, have come to light, and
the company find them worthy of
serious investigation. Superintend-
ent Armstrong said to an associated
press reporter that the more he in
vestigated the more it appeared to
him that the bridge had been set on
fire. He had observed many thieves
at work and had stopped them while
despoiling the wreck of property. and
in many instances the robbing of the
dead and dying being brought TO his
attention. The excursion had been
extensively advertised and the time
it would pass over the bridge known.
Citizens say that a gang Of suspicious
fellows had been lettering
around Chatsworth for some
days. Many of those were :onnd
early at the wreck. paying more
attention to relieving the dead bodies
of valuables than to, caring For them.
Train-men and passengers had fire.
quent contentious with vands3s. In
one instance Supt. Armstrong fonnd
well known thief in the depot room
where property taken from the wreck
had been stored.
President Leonard says so far as The
road officials could estimate there
were about eighty killed and "ne
hundred seriously wounded There
are many who were slightly injured
of whom no record has bee obtained.
President Leonard said as near ~
could be ascertained the train yHs
making about thirty miles ala hOIr
at the time OF the accident: which
was not an excessive rate o spa.i lS
the track was in god condition.
TIE AGED BooDLEE.
New YORK, Aug. 12.-The con1i-
ton of Jacob Sharpe this morning
was worse than at any time since his
incarceration in Ludlow stree; jail.
When he awoke to-day he was unable
to move and lay on his bed like one
in trance. His moaning could be
heard all through the vast prison.
MUST DIE.
PARIS, Aug. u The appeal to the
higher court of Pranzini. the con-
demned murderer of Nine. Regnaalt.
has been rejected.
MURDER MYSTERY.
RALEIGH, n. Cat Ashyille great
sensation has been created in regard
TO a confession made by a convict in
the peaitentiary. The confession re-
lates to the killing of Prof Monroe
Madison, at Pigeon River, on March
81 OF last year. Prof. Madison had
been teaching school in Haywood
county, and came to Pigeon River for
some real estate. He was seen that
afternoon walking alone along the
railroad track. A few moments after
a pistol shot was heard some fifty
yards from the road. This report was
followed by cries of murder, which
attracted the attention of the inmates
Of the nearest house, some 150 yards
away.
Several parties hurried 10 the scene
and found Madison lying with bull
let hole in his breast and his money
gone. He said he had been shot and
robbed by strange man. His watch
was found near him. He was removed
to a house near by, where in few
days he died. No trace OF such man
as the dying school teacher described
as his assailant could be found, after
diligent search.
The circumstances of his shooting
and the absence OF any proof of the
assault on Madison went far toward
inciining many to the opinion that it
was a case of suicide. This opinion
was, however, not shared by those
who heard the statement of the dying
man, who, staring death in the face,
said that he was dying at the hands
of highwayman and a murderer.
w. HI. Deaver, chief of the detec-
tive agency, has received letters in re-
gard to a confession by G. G. Massey.
sent to the penitentiary for twenty
five years for house burning. A fell
low convict confessed to him and
others that he killed Prof. Madison.
This confession is now receiving the
closest scrutiny of the detectives.
Madison was a cousin of the unfortu-
nate Fanny Lillian Madison, whose
tragic ending is still fresh in the
memory of the public. He was also a
remote kinsman OF president James
Madison.